The Guardian Defines the Israeli Political Center
January 24, 2013 12:07 by Simon Plosker
Referring to Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, the surprise success of the Israeli elections, The Guardian’s Harriet Sherwood writes:
it positioned itself in the centre of the Israeli political spectrum – which is further to the right than in most European countries.
But if The Guardian sees Israel as a “right-wing” country by European standards, then how does it refer to the Palestinians?
According to this Guardian editorial from 2011:
Israel had the most moderate Palestinian leader in Mahmoud Abbas it was ever likely to meet over a negotiating table in several generations and blew it.
Perhaps Mahmoud Abbas is relatively moderate compared with Hamas but when was the last time The Guardian pointed out to its readers that, compared to European countries, the Palestinian political spectrum runs from all the way from extreme to very extreme?
And let’s not forget that the Palestinians chose Hamas in their last ballot.
Even when Israelis start to vote in a way that could be seen as moderate, The Guardian still has to make sure that Israel is seen to be beyond the political pale by coming up with its own definition of the political center.
classical_hero
12:40 pm
Jan 24, 2013
Well their definition is centre is basically far left,so anyone to the right of the would of course be far right.
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steven L
6:15 pm
Jan 24, 2013
This is the EU and USA definition. This is XXI century Western far left brain washing. You can’t be more extreme than that since you attempt to shut people out of any discussion. The other weapon they will use is the racist card.
Slowly if there is no active counter-forces in play we will see the ugly face of neocommunism.
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A F
8:00 pm
Jan 24, 2013
With constantly moving goalposts of what is “right” and what is “left” (something that is common in the political discourse of ANY democratic country) one can define where the “centre” is pretty much wherever they like.
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Andrés Rosendo
11:00 pm
Jan 24, 2013
Insane. The Guardian is a joke.
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Jeffrey
3:27 pm
Jan 25, 2013
It is not a joke. Jokes are funny. The incessant malevolence, delegitimisation of Israel and borderline racism displayed by the Guardian has the potential to become life-threatening not only to Israelis, but to all those who love democracy and who might gain benefit from Israeli research and innovation. It should not be seen as a joke. It should be seen as an abhorrence.
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leila cumber
12:11 am
Jan 25, 2013
There are now 11 members of the Knesset who are Arab -lsraelis. Israel’s elections are democratic. Criticism of rightest rule ought to be directed at eg Saudia Arabia where the populace has no choice but to be governed by an autocratic monarchy that has made workers’ unions illegal
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Jack Schwartz
9:46 pm
Jan 27, 2013
Leila, there are few more than 11 Arab members of Knesset. A few Arabs were elected as part of Jewish parties such as Labor, Meretz and Likud.
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Frank Adam
11:45 am
Jan 25, 2013
We should all be very careful to avoid name calling by now historic generations whether Nazis, Communists or even neo-Conservatives. Stick to currrent descriptions annd make them as clear as possiible but in my experience those who call people by the defunct ideas of Communist, MacCarthyist or Nazi, or neo – anything, would not have recognised the originals if they had fallen over them.
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3:28 pm
Jan 25, 2013
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Les Seavor
8:47 am
Jan 27, 2013
The Guardian & the equally anti-Israel BBC chatter about right and left wing to distract attention from the fact that in Israel there ARE free and fair elections, unlike in the corrupt states which want Israel’s destruction.
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Ed Frias
2:20 am
Jan 28, 2013
Cifwatch.com always destroys the lies of the Guardian.
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2:52 pm
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